Making an Onix
by Tertullian
Summary: When their careers bring them to Kalos, the last thing they expect to see is each other. A romantic evening follows...but there are always bumps in the road. Luckshipping
1. Finding You

**While this story stands on its own and be read as such, a few _minor_ details will seem out of place without reading my previous story **_**An Unexpected Union.**_** For those of you that did this story takes place in that universe. **

**I did watch **_**Queen of the Serpentine**_** a number of times while writing this to try to get Lucy's speech and mannerisms right. But since this is the only episode she appears in there is necessarily substantial "creative license" in my presentation of Lucy and her sister. Nevertheless I feel my interpretation is faithful to what we see of Lucy in canon and helps understand how an aloof, beautiful, and mature trainer could actually fall for Brock. I did explore this site for other Luckshipping fics to get some inspiration and found very few. So, if you like this pairing (or any Brock-centered story in general) I certainly encourage you to write one of your own.**

**In my previous tale I did not make any specific references to character age (or even aging in general) out of fidelity to the anime. Considering the nature of this pairing however I feel something needs to be said. I would put Brock as being 18, ("of age" but with the outside potential of growing a few more inches) Lucy as being in her early 20s, and her sister about one year younger.  
**

**Disclaimer: I make no claim of ownership to Pokémon. No copyright infringement is intended. **

* * *

"Talonflame is unable to battle. Seviper is the winner. That means that the victory goes to Kanto's famous Pike Queen Lucy!"

This pronouncement ignited the audience, with applause and cheers echoing across the battlefield. Other than the referee, the only two in the room not shouting in adulation were the two trainers. On one side stood Gerrad, one of the Kalos Battle Institute's most famous competitors. He had won the Kalos League a few years prior and, while he had failed in his attempt to become Champion, was still a highly regarded battler. He was a regular competitor in top level matches at the Battle Institute and Battle Maison; he also held the title of Duke at the Battle Chateau. Yet today he had been outclassed severely and he did not even try to hide the disappointment on his face.

The trainer on the other side of the battlefield, far from exulting in her victory, wore a blank expression on her face, no sign of the satisfaction she must have felt at winning against such an accomplished opponent. Of course, the young woman had quite a reputation of her own. While Frontier Brains in general were known to be strong, she was widely acknowledged as one of the strongest. Yet strength was only part of her reputation; she was also regarded as quite the beauty, more beautiful (many said) than Kanto's famous Sensational Sisters and even rivaling Unova's Elesa or Kalos' own Diantha. The people of Kalos, proud of their own reputation for fashion and of their strong tradition of battling, had been a bit skeptical of all the hype surrounding the Pike Queen. But seeing her in person had silenced the skepticism, with the match that had just concluded being the crescendo that capped off the past few days of fashion shows, public appearances, and exhibition battles.

"Excellent work Seviper, now you take a good rest." As Lucy whispered these words to her Pokémon and returned it, she allowed a ghost of a smile to cross her face. The battle had been thrilling and her fair-haired opponent had certainly lived up to his reputation. Lifting her head she stared across the battlefield. Her opponent had returned his own Pokémon and was now walking towards her. After putting Seviper's Pokéball back on her belt she began her own walk across the field. Meeting in the center, the two stopped and regarded one another silently for a moment.

Gerrard had spent most of his time prior to the match researching Lucy's battle style, but of course he had not been able to help spending some time looking at pictures of her as well. That had been the inevitable result of reading a Kanto fashion magazine's interview of her from a few months prior. He had sought out the article merely to get a sense of her personality, but as he had been unable to keep his eyes from wandering away from the article text to the pictures on the side, a pattern of behavior that had repeated itself during the battle. He knew this distraction had not been the deciding factor in their match, but it certainly had not helped him any. Now, facing the raven haired beauty up close and personal, he took a breath and hoped that he would be able to keep his eyes from straying inappropriately. It was a bit challenging given she was more than a few inches taller than him.

As Gerrard stared silently at her, Lucy stared back. Standing at six feet four inches tall even without the two inch heels she typically wore, there were few men (and even fewer women) that equaled, let alone exceeded, her stature. Gerrard came somewhat close; she was sure he must be a bit over six feet. His dirty blonde hair was tousled, but in the contrived sort of way that had become fashionable of late. While he was not quite her type, he was definitely handsome. Lucy wondered if he would make a pass at her or not. Lucy took pride in most aspects of her public reputation; she had worked hard to become a skilled battler and her beauty was something that she valued despite the fact it was often more trouble than it was worth. Yet these two traits were enough to intimidate most; combined with the less flattering element of her reputation, few men dared make a serious effort.

A few years ago some disgruntled soul had coined the nickname "Ice Queen Lucy," fusing her hard-earned Battle Frontier moniker with a harsh insult. To her dismay it had caught on, spreading across the Internet like wildfire. While most people recognized these internet trolls for what they were, the term had unfortunately stuck. Even one of the Kalosian fashion journalist interviewing her the day before had had the gall to bring it up in the interview; it had only been out of regard for her sister, on whose behalf she had embarked on her whole modeling side career in the first place, that she had not cut the interview off then and there.

Of course Lucy recognized that this insult was not without its logic. One on hand, she had worked hard to accomplish what she had as a trainer and took a fair bit of pride at it. If her success was too intimidating for most men to deal with, that was hardly her fault. But she had also long ago admitted to herself that she could be a bit too cocky. All this, combined with her own shyness, meant that she could come across as aloof or even standoffish, serving as the inspiration for the internet mockery. None of this of course stopped her from despising the demeaning appellation.

Because of all this, there had been a few men who had dared to cross the gauntlet. Yet Lucy could tell that most of them were not the kind of guy she would want to date, let alone marry. Although she knew her refusal to low her standards was the right decision, she also had to admit that she did get lonely.

"Congratulations Lucy. It was a great battle and I hope," at this Gerrad paused and gulped, "and I hope we can do it again sometime." He lifted his hand in a gesture of friendship.

Lucy grasped his hand and they shook. "Thanks Gerrad. You were impressive as well. I look forward to our rematch." At this she let his hand go and returned it to her side. She stood motionless, waiting to see what else he would do, if anything.

Gerrad fidgeted nervously. "Lucy I," he stared, then paused. "I guess I'll see you around then." With this he wheeled around and began to walk away, hoping he was not going quick enough to be obvious.

Lucy just sighed internally. Even though he did not really look like her type, she would have let him buy her dinner and given him an honest shot. He did battle well and clearly cared for his Pokémon, both things that she very much esteemed. Turning herself, she walked in the opposite direction. After dealing with some final procedural matters with the Battle Institute's staff, Lucy managed to sneak out, avoiding the crowd and soon finding herself on the bustling street. While somewhat famous, she was no Diantha and was able to quickly disappear into Lumiose City's crowded streets. After a few minutes of aimless wandering (a welcome reprieve from the rigorous regimen that had governed her trip thus far) her Holocaster began to chirp. Viewing her sister's name, she sighed and answered, grumbling to herself something about not having a moment's peace.

"Yes Barbara," Lucy queried, frustration leaking into her tone.

Staring back at her was a miniature blue-tinted image of her younger sister. "Don't 'yes Barbara' me Lucy! Especially since I'm just calling to congratulate you! Great battle by the way, you really showed him."

"Thanks. But somehow I doubt you are calling 'just' to congratulate me."

"Well, now that you mention it…" Barbara started.

"Yes," Lucy replied, a hint of impatience in her voice.

"I only wanted to let you know that the deal closed early. And not only that, but they agreed to purchase double what we thought!"

"Wow," Lucy responded. This certainly was unexpected. While fashion was Barbara's career and she typically handled most of the negotiations, usually Lucy had to be at the table. As the "face" of her sister's brand potential customers liked to see Lucy present at negotiations even if she said very little. It was only because battling was actually a great way to promote the brand that she had been able to duck out of this afternoon's meeting.

"Exactly, so no rush to get back. Though I definitely want to celebrate tonight. Restaurant Le Wow is supposed to be good and with your star cachet I had no problem booking a table for two."

"Don't sell yourself short Barbara, you're quite well known as well."

"I'm not Queen Lucy," started Barbara.

"I've told you not to call me that," replied Lucy. While proud of her moniker sometimes her sister could take it too far; she was not a real queen after all.

"Okay okay. Point is people may know the brand and they definitely know you. But outside the industry I'm just another face in the crowd. You're not. And I'm okay with that, really."

From a young age Lucy had received a great deal more attention than her sister. While they had a good relationship for the most part, the reality of their unequal treatment had definitely impacted their relationship, causing Barbara to develop a tendency towards overprotectiveness (being one of the few who knew of Lucy's shyness) and hero-worship. Thankfully the latter had faded significantly since Barbara's own career as a fashion designer had started to take off, but exchanges like this reminded her it was still very much present.

"Alright, I'll meet you there. What time is the reservation?"

"Seven, but make sure you get back to the room and change first. Restaurant Le Wow has quite a strict dress code."

"Sure thing sis, see you in a few hours."

With that Lucy ended the call and smiled. Suddenly she had some free time on her hands. The only true sightseeing she had gotten accomplished so far was looking out car windows as she was being whisked from place to place; while she had visited a number of the city's famous sites for photo shoots, it had been a strictly regulated experience. Now she had the chance to explore properly and she relished the opportunity; from what she had seen so far, Lumiose City was quite beautiful, with its stately architecture, its bustling boulevards, and its abundance of public parks. _"But first things first, I need to take care of my Pokémon."_

Calling up the Maps app on her Holocaster, Lucy quickly deduced that, while there was not a Pokémon Center nearby, there was a Pokémon Hospital only a few blocks away. After dropping off her Pokémon for a little healing she could walk around for a while and pick them way back to the hotel. Since Restaurant Le Wow was only a short taxi ride from Hotel Richissime she had have plenty of time to explore. Smiling, she closed her Holocaster and began to make her way to St. James' Pokémon Hospital. Little did she know that she was also on her way to a reunion with a very familiar face.

* * *

Carefully applying a bandage to a wounded Skiddo, Brock Harrison let loose a sigh. Being a Pokémon Doctor in training was fulfilling…but it was also hard work. While he had originally been looking forward to spending a lot of time getting to know Lumiose City, over the past six weeks he had rarely seen the outside of the hospital. Pretty much all the time he spent outside of work (which admittedly was not much) he spent in the dorm catching up on some well-needed sleep. Coming a week early had definitely been the right decision; he had experienced more of Kalos during his week visiting Ash and company than he had in the six weeks since. Except for meeting and treating a slew of new kinds of Pokémon, hospital life in Kalos was hardly different than it was in Kanto.

"There you go, all done," Brock comforted. The bandage was tied off and secure. "Just make sure you go easy on it the next few days."

As the Grass type Pokémon responded in thanks, Brock smiled and made a note on Skiddo's chart. Of course he would be sure to give the same direction to this Skiddo's trainer as well, but often it was the Pokémon, not the trainer, that was more apt to push too hard too fast.

"Alright, now you stay here while I go check on some of the other Pokémon. I'll be back to take you to your trainer before you know it."

With that Brock exited the examination room, closing the door behind him. He turned and then promptly collided with a cart. Stumbling back, it took him a moment to right himself. Once he had regained his footing he turned and fixed his gaze on the person behind it.

"Oh Brock I'm so sorry, not again," the individual behind the cart moaned. She was a young woman around Brock's own age, with medium length purple hair bound in a tight bun. Her name was Marci and she was, like Brock, an intern here at St. James' Pokémon Hospital; unlike Brock she was a student at the school attached to the hospital. Brock liked her; she had a sparkling personality and was a good worker. Unfortunately she was also quite clumsy, not a good trait for an aspiring Pokémon Doctor to have.

"No need to worry Marci, no harm done," Brock smiled reassuringly. "Just be more attentive next time. I don't have eyes in the back of my head."

"Right," she responded, scratching her head. "I was just a bit distracted…you'll never guess who just paid us a visit! In fact," she smiled, clapping her hands excitedly, "I have her Pokémon right here." At this she motioned down to the cart she was pushing. On top of it was a tray containing three Pokeballs.

"Well, other than that it was a woman, I honestly have no idea."

"Wait how did you know that?"

Brock laughed. "Well you did say 'her Pokémon.'"

"Oh, right. Well, come on and guess!"

"Uh, Diantha?"

"Are you kidding Brock, she's hardly ever in Lumiose City, she's too busy shooting movies or championing."

"'Championing?'" Brock's tone was playful.

"You know what I mean," she jested back, swatting his arm playfully as she did so. "Come on, guess."

Brock shrugged. "No idea."

"Oh come on Brock, it's been all over the news and the gossip pages the past few days. She was just on the cover of _Fashion Weekly_."

"Uh, when do we have time to pay attention to that kind of stuff? And, even if we did have time, reading about celebrities wouldn't be how I'd use it."

"I forgot, Mr. Pokémon Breeder and Gym Leader has a completely one-track mind."

"That's two tracks…"

"Whatever," she said, waving her hand in a gesture of dismissal. "Anyways, you should know her! She's a famous battler too and she's even from your home region…Come on, I'm practically giving you the answer!"

Brock shook his head. "No idea. And we really should be getting back to work…"

"Fine, you're right. But for your information these Pokémon belong to the Pike Queen herself!"

"Wait Lucy's here?!" The emotion in Brock's voice was a mixture of surprise and disbelief.

"Uh yeah, I just met her in fact. Wait, you don't know her, do you Brock?" While Marci doubted it, there had been something in his voice and expression that was a bit out of the ordinary.

Brock's expression was unreadable. Finally, he let loose a sigh and smiled. "Yeah, we've met, though it was a while back. See my traveling buddy at the time challenged her."

"Wow, that sounds so cool! Did your friend win?"

"Yeah, he did." Those were good memories even if, looking back, he was a bit embarrassed by how he acted. If she did remember him at all it probably was not flattering. Still, it would be good to see her again.

"Wow, that's great! I hear she's tough to beat. I know she was supposed to face Gerrad today but I totally forgot to ask her if she won or not…guess I was too nervous at meeting someone famous!"

"Hey Marci, can you do me a big favor? Can you let me take care of fixing up her Pokémon and returning them to her? I'd owe you big time!"

Marci paused, considering Brock's request. While she had been looking forward to taking care of this, Brock had been very helpful over the past few weeks. Unlike a few of the other interns, he had never given her a hard time about being clumsy despite the fact he had been the one to suffer the most from her slip-ups. Smiling, she said "Sure Brock, just as long as you let me know how your reunion goes."

Brock laughed. "Sure thing Marci. And thanks."

"No problem. Oh, but you should know, she said she was going sightseeing for a few hours so she won't be back anytime soon."

"Oh," Brock responded, a bit disappointed at this news. Still, Lucy would be back eventually. This gave him plenty of time to take good care of her Pokémon…in addition to the hundred other things he needed to get done. "Well, then I'll have more than enough time to make sure they're all alright. Thanks again Marci!"

"No worries Brock," she smiled, stepping back from the cart so Brock could take over. "Besides, it's not like there's not plenty more to do."

After sharing a laugh at this, the two went their separate ways, minds once again focused on the never-ending work of a Pokémon hospital.

* * *

As Lucy rounded the street corner and caught sight of the Pokémon hospital once more, she could not help but let out a sigh of contentment. While she had immensely enjoyed the few exhibition battles she had taken part in today, their intensity only added to the mental and physical exhaustion that came from her modeling duties. These past few hours had been a true respite, allowing her to lose herself in the cobbled streets and magnificent sites of Lumiose City. Truly this city deserved its reputation as one of the most beautiful cities in the world. And to cap off the evening in style she would be visiting one of the Kalos region's most famous restaurants. The thought of it was quite appealing; she had always enjoyed a good meal even if she was a bit hopeless in the kitchen herself.

With visions of fine cuisine dancing through her head, she smiled and made the turn into the hospital complex. Stopping and glancing at the well-sculpted bronze statue of the hospital's patron saint, she took a moment to breathe in the fresh Kalosian air. Letting out her breath, she resumed her determined pace forward and walked into the hospital. Catching sight of the elevators in the far corner, she turned and made her way there, walking at a brisk pace. She had cut her timing a bit close and could not afford the delay that would come with being recognized, especially not in a room as crowded as a large hospital's main lobby. Fortunately she went unnoticed and was able to enter an empty elevator, pressing the button for the correct floor and then the close door button immediately after.

After a few moments she arrived at her destination and strode out the elevator's open doors. Ahead of her was a small lobby with the reception desk, the very place where she had dropped her Pokémon off earlier. While there were a few people sitting around, trainers who evidently elected to wait here while their Pokémon were being healed, there was no line. Smiling inwardly at her good fortune, she moved quickly to the front desk. The receptionist there caught site of her and smiled, a smile Lucy returned. The middle-aged woman had been personable if a bit blunt earlier; Lucy had like her immediately, as such candor was a refreshing change from most of the people she had interacted with over the past few days. The reaction of the young doctor that had collected her Pokémon had been less so; although she generally liked interacting with fans, the young woman had hardly been able to stammer out more than a few words before beating a hasty retreat. It had been a bit awkward to say the least.

"Welcome back Lucy. I hope you had a nice time exploring," the receptionist said.

"I did. Your city truly lives up to its reputation. I hope I will be able to say the same of Restaurant Le Wow."

"Well, I've never eaten there myself, but my older brother did once and he couldn't stop raving about it…though that doesn't mean a thing," she chuckled. "He never has had good taste …food, clothes, women, you name it."

"I see," said Lucy a bit impatiently. "How are my Pokémon doing?"

"Oh they're fine love, let me call one of those handsome young doctors to come bring them out for you." With that the receptionist picked up the phone and dialed a few numbers. Once done, she spoke into the phone. "The Pike Queen is here to pick up her Pokémon." Pausing for a moment, she then continued. "Okay, I'll tell her." With that she hung up and turned back to Lucy. "He'll be right out with your Pokémon."

"Thanks."

"No problem, it'll just be a moment. That boy sounded as excited a kid on Christmas so I'll bet you it won't be long at all."

Her words quickly proved correct as it was hardly more than a half minute later before the door to the treatment area opened and out came a cart with three Pokeballs on it. Pushing the cart from behind was a young man wearing a white lab coat and a forest green shirt. When Lucy's eyes fell upon his her heart quickened. _"No, it couldn't be…"_ But it was. Slowly but steadily Brock Harrison moved across the lobby and back into her life.

Stopping the cart just in front of Lucy, Brock let out a breath and turned to look directly the entrancing vision of beauty standing before him. She was, of course, as attractive as ever, wearing her signature purple and black colors, though it clearly was a different outfit. Her jet black hair was still quite long, though it lacked the red highlights that she had favored when last they had met. Fortunately he had grown a fair bit since then, though he was still a few inches shorter than her. Willing himself to be calm, he cleared his throat audibly and then spoke. "Your Pokémon are all better and feeling just fine."

"Thank you Brock," she stuttered. It was, she realized, the first time she had spoken him directly.

"Wow, so you remember me," Brock said, relief evident in his voice.

"Of course I remember you…you left quite the impression."

Brock chuckled nervously. "Uh, about that…"

Seeing that he was looking a bit abashed, Lucy plowed forward. "What I mean is, you were hard to forget…in a good way."

"Really?" Brock was genuinely surprised at this. After all, Lucy was an accomplished battler and incredibly attractive. Certainly she must have faced many challengers since Ash, not to mention she probably had men hitting on her all the time. He figured if she remembered him at all it would be as another one in a long list of guys that made a pass and were shot down…not that he had even had the chance to actually get shot down; Max had seen to that.

"Of course. Few are bold enough to be so direct with me…but what really impressed me was you rooting for both me and Ash during our battle. That and how caring you were with your Bonsly."

"Uh, thanks. What are you doing here in Kalos though? I mean, we're quite a long way from the Battle Pike."

"I could ask you the same thing," she smiled, a faint blush on her cheeks. "I mean, I remember overhearing something about you being a Pokémon Breeder, so to find you as a doctor here in Kalos…it's the last thing I expected."

Brock laughed gently. "Yeah, me too. Truth is after Ash won the Battle Frontier I traveled with him through the Sinnoh Region."

"Yes, I managed to catch some of his battles in the Sinnoh League. His last two were quite remarkable." Ash had left a strong impression on Lucy as well, albeit in a different way than Brock; apart from Anabel, in all her time as a Frontier Brain she had never been bested by one so young. She had kept an eye on his career ever since, though it had been some time since she had last checked up on him.

Brock nodded. "His performance there was really was something. But after all that traveling, I actually realized that what I really wanted to do was help hurt Pokémon get well again. So I enrolled in Pokémon Medical school in Saffron City. I'm actually just here in Kalos for a three-month rotation in the hospital, then it's back to Kanto. And you?"

"Well," she started, "it's actually kind of embarrassing. A few months after we met my sister got into designing clothes and decided that she needed me to model them. That's why I'm here; Barbara wanted to expand, and where better than Kalos?"

"Yeah, that's true. But what's embarrassing about that?"

At this Lucy pursed her lips and her face took on a look of frustration. "Honestly I hate modeling. I don't like all that attention."

"Really?" Brock was surprised to say the least; girls, especially pretty girls, usually loved to try on clothes and show off.

She nodded. "Really. With battling it's different; the focus is much more on the skill of the trainer and the relationship between trainer and Pokémon. But something about modeling clothes makes me feel uncomfortable. I don't like the feeling of so many people staring at me."

"Come on Lucy, a woman that looks as gorgeous as you has nothing to worry about…" At this Brock trailed off, realizing what he'd just said. Here he was trying to be a gentleman and not come on too strong like he always did. _"That lasted like, what, a minute,"_ he silently castigated himself. Aloud he said. "I mean…"

Lucy however was blushing intensely. "Wow, thanks Brock. That's very flattering."

"Really?" At this Brock was flabbergasted. It must have showed on his face because Lucy responded before he could think of anything else to say.

"Yes. Actually I was quite flattered back when we first met. I rarely have cute and confident guys approach me…and when they do, they're usually jerks." At this an unpleasant look crossed her face briefly before brightening. "But I could tell right away that you weren't like that at all."

"Wow, I uh honestly had no idea," he murmured. "I was sure that if you remembered me at all it would be as some creepy stalker who went way over the top."

"Well you did come on a bit too strong. I honestly had no idea how to respond. Then you left."

At this Brock chuckled sheepishly. "If I had known how you really felt I probably would have stayed."

At this Lucy's blush returned, so much so she put a hand to her to her face, half hiding behind it. After letting out a breath she dropped her hand and returned her gaze to Brock. "But then you wouldn't have continued your journey and found your calling."

"True," said Brock, "and I'm glad I did find it. But I'm here now."

"Yes you are."

At this they stared into one another's eyes, lost in each other's gaze for a moment. Neither was quite willing to break the moment.

"Hey you two, hate to interrupt," interjected the receptionist, "but we've got a lot more Pokémon that need work Brock. So either get her number or get going!"

At this Brock and Lucy glanced at the receptionist and then back at one another, suddenly cognizant of the very public setting. Both of them were blushing in embarrassment, with Lucy looking bashful and Brock looking goofy. Lucy regained her senses a bit more quickly and cut straight to the chase. "When do you get off work?"

"Well, if I'm lucky, seven."

"Barbara made reservations at Restaurant Le Wow for me and her at seven. But if you could somehow meet me at my hotel at quarter to…" At this she suddenly paused, mind finally catching up with what her mouth was saying. Her nerves suddenly kicked in and she found herself unable to continue.

"Wait, are you asking me out on a date?" Brock was a bit shocked to say the least. Even though the past few minutes had went far better than he could have ever hoped or imagined, an actual date was something else entirely.

"Well," she said, "no." Before Brock could react with disappointment, she pushed on. "I'm hoping that you'll ask me on one."

"Wow…of course! I mean," and at this his voice talk on a suave tone that was so over the top that it bordered on ridiculous, "Dearest Lucy, will you do me the supremely great honor of accompanying me to dinner tonight?"

While it was definitely a bit much, Lucy could feel the heat rising in her cheeks. "I'd love to," she breathed.

"Great!" Brock smiled at first, giddy with shock shock. But as reality set in, he quickly frowned. "Uh, I should say that getting off in time might be a bit of a problem. Plus I don't think I can manage something quite as nice as Restaurant Le Wow on such short notice."

Lucy smiled. "I'm sure you'll find a way to get off. As for dinner, don't worry; once I tell Barbara I've got a date she'll let us have those reservations."

"Cool," Brock said aloud. Inwardly he was a bit worried though; Restaurant Le Wow was known as much for its high prices as its good food. "Are you sure though? I won't have nearly enough time to get changed into something classy enough for that place."

"You leave that to me," she said, determination in her voice. After managing to make it this far she wasn't about to let a silly thing like a dress code get in the way. "Just meet me in the lobby of Hotel Richissime at quarter to seven."

"Okay Lucy," Brock said. Here he was finally about to go on a date with a beautiful woman and he was worrying about money. Shaking his head mentally, he let his enthusiasm come out. "Sounds great! See you in a bit."

Lucy smiled. "Looking forward to it."

"Me too," Brock said. Both smiled shyly. Then, after retrieving her Pokeballs from the tray, Lucy gave a little wave and turned around, heading for the elevators.

Brock stared off after her until the receptionist's loud voice broke the spell. "Well congratulations Brock. Now you better get your fanny back to work...you'll have to if you hope to make that date."

Brock chuckled. "Yes Clarice," he responded, giving the receptionist a smile. Gripping the cart, he turned and wheeled it back into the treatment area. He quickly realized that there was only one way he was going to be able to pull this off: Marci. After returning the cart, he went in search of the purple-haired intern. After a brief search he found her treating an injured Fletchinder. Smiling, he opened the door to the treatment room.

"Hey Brock, come to help me with this," she asked cheerily.

"Actually, I came to ask for another favor, and this time it is a pretty big one."

"Really? I never would have guessed," she replied, a hint of playful sarcasm in her voice.

"Look, you remember how I said I knew Lucy…"

"Yes, and you promised details."

"Well I've got no time to go into it all now, but I've got a dinner date with her at Restaurant Le Wow."

"Wow!" Marci was floored by this news. "Or should I say 'Le Wow.'"

Brock laughed; he'd always had a bit of a corny sense of humor.

"Seriously though, you asked the Pike Queen out to dinner and she said yes?!" At Brock's nod, she continued. "But she doesn't go out with anyone. Ever. People even call her the Ice…"

"Don't," Brock responded, a note of anger clear in his voice.

"Alright alright," she said, waving her hands. "You know I didn't mean anything by it. So when is this big date?"

"Tonight at seven."

"When you said big favor you weren't kidding," she chuckled.

"Exactly. So, how about it? I promise to let you know all the juicy details and name our first daughter after you."

"Ha, not good enough. Get me and my boyfriend reservations there as well and we'll call it even."

"Deal," Brock said, hoping that Lucy would somehow be able to pull some strings.

"Alright, though I doubt you'll be able to get in with that outfit."

"Lucy said not to worry about it," Brock replied, trying to sound confident.

"Well, I guess if you're a Queen you can get things done. Now all you have to do is worry about footing the bill on the pittance they pay us."

Brock chuckled nervously, the worries from earlier returning. "Looks like I'll be eating ramen for the next year or so."

"Yeah well knowing you, you'd find some way to make it taste awesome." One night a few weeks ago Brock had cooked dinner in the dorm's communal kitchen for all the interns fortunate enough to be off that night. Everyone was still begging for a repeat.

"True, although if it goes well this may not be the only dinner in my future."

"That's right, you're both from Kanto," a smile spreading across her face. "Wow, you two might actually work out."

"Hope so. So, we've got a deal?" At this he held out his hand.

"Alright, deal" she said, grasping his hand and shaking it. "And remember, I better get to hear all the details. And make sure those reservations are for after this rotation is over. I want to be able to enjoy it without having to worry about going to work the next day."

"You've got it," Brock nodded, not dwelling on the fact that _he_ would have to be back at work early tomorrow.

"Alright, well let me know what needs doing and I'll take care of it."

Smiling, Brock began to explain everything that needed to get done before leaving. It was quite a bit, so much that Marci started to regret agreeing to Brock's request. But, as she watched Brock walk off, she reminded herself of how much help he had been over the past few weeks; if anyone deserved this he did. Besides, she was getting something out of this. Still, that did not mean that she was looking forward to the rest of her shift. Sighing, she turned and resumed her rounds, mentally preparing herself for a long night.

* * *

**This story will consist of four chapters, the first two of which are longer than the last two, for a total of just over 20k words. They are all written and merely require some polishing. I will try to have the next one up in about week's time and the last two a week after that. **


	2. A Delightful Dinner

_Disclaimer: I still do not own ___Pokémon_. If I did there would not be such blatant home country discrimination in the distribution of event ___Pokémon_. _

* * *

Even with Marci agreeing to take over most of his duties, Brock still had had a number of loose ends to tie up before being able to leave. In fact, he had barely had enough time to deposit his lab coat in the hospital laundry before hustling out the door to catch a cab. Although Hotel Richissime was not terribly far, he would have been quite late if he had tried to walk. Unfortunately cabs in Lumiose City were not exactly cheap, and now, as he swiped his card to pay the driver, he could not help but cringe slightly. Although hardly a miser, supporting himself and his nine siblings on a Gym Leader's salary had taught him to be thrifty, a quality that had come in handy during both his travels with Ash and his life as a medical student. _"And this cab fare is just the beginning." _

Shoving that thought away, Brock got out of the cab and strode confidently into the hotel. The lobby was opulent, with marble as far as the eye could see, which, in this particular room, was quite far indeed. Checking the time and realizing he was a few minutes early, he decided to duck into the nearby restroom to freshen up. Striding over to the sink, he quickly washed his hands and face, taking a moment to enjoy the feeling of the warm water on his skin. While he had washed up after getting off work as always, there was something a bit more relaxing about this.

After toweling himself dry, he turned to the mirror and studied himself. While his dark green Oxford shirt and black slacks might qualify as well-dressed at most establishments, he knew it would not be good enough at a really upscale place, let alone the most exclusive restaurant in all of Kalos. But other than that, he was quite satisfied with his appearance. His hair was in place, face and clothes were clean…so why was he still standing here?

"_Admit it Brocko, you're nervous."_ And he was. Of course he had never had a problem approaching girls…in all the time he had traveled with Ash, he must have hit on a few hundred. But he had had precious little experience with what came after. The memories of Temacu and Professor Ivy were usually ones he kept buried deeply…but on a night like tonight, those memories could not help but claw their way out of the recesses of his mind. He let out a few deep breaths, trying to calm himself and banish those thoughts and the attendant emotions. _"A lot of the hard work is already done. And between discussing Pokémon and catching up you've got plenty to talk about. As Dawn loves to say, 'no need to worry.'" _Clenching his fist in a display of newfound resolve, he spun on his heel and marched out, determined that this night would be one to remember, not one to forget.

* * *

"So, how do I look," Lucy said, trying and failing to keep the nerves out of her voice.

"Amazing," replied Barbara smiling. "Whoever this guy is I'd be surprised if he is still able to breathe after seeing you in this."

The two sisters were standing in front of the mirror in the bathroom of their luxurious hotel suite. When Lucy called asking to reschedule dinner Barbara had been a bit miffed...at first. But as soon as the word 'date' had left Lucy's mouth Barbara's mood had completely changed. She had always been protective of her big sister of course, especially when it came to guys. But over the past year she had come to realize not only how high Lucy's standards were, but how seldom she got approached. For the longest time she had always assumed that Lucy got asked out by a lot of guys and had merely been good about hiding it from her. Realizing that most guys were too intimidated to ask had been quite the revelation. So, when her sister had said she had a date…well, Barbara was all for it, volunteering to help her sister get ready.

"Well, it is one of your creations," Lucy. "Of course it's good."

"True," Barbara replied, "but you wear it so well." This was an argument as old as their partnership; Lucy always placed the emphasis on Barbara's talent as a designer while Barbara always highlighted how great Lucy made the clothes look. "Aren't you glad I insisted you bring this?"

Lucy nodded. "Yes, very glad."

The dress Lucy was wearing was on the formal side, which is why Lucy had resisted bringing it; while one of her favorites, given their regimented schedule she had not foreseen an occasion where she would be able to wear it. Long and royal purple, the sleeveless gown stretched down to just above Lucy's ankles, with matching purple gloves extending to her elbows. The dress had thin straps and a modest neckline. It lacked one of those deeply scooped backs that were all the rage. Finally, while far from skintight, it was form-fitting enough to tastefully showcase Lucy's figure. Overall it was elegant enough for a formal ball while still being well-suited to a fancy night on the town.

As for Lucy herself, her flowing black hair was partially braided, though it still fell to midway down her back. The braid was secured with a fashionable hair clip, one that matched the color and elegance of her dress. She was wearing only a modest amount of makeup, preferring to let her natural beauty speak for itself. And speak it did. Her flawless alabaster skin contrasted well with the deep purple of her outfit. As most of her visible skin was around her head and shoulders, the sharp contrast between skin tone and dress meant that an observer's attention could not help but be drawn there, highlighting not only her overall beauty, but also one of her most stunning features: her ruby-colored eyes. An elegant necklace, whose red and black gemstones were framed by gold filigree, completed the look. It was, as Barbara said, enough to take any man's breath away.

"Look at the time! You better get going. I've got the matching purse here," at this Barbara handed Lucy a small matching purple bag into which she had placed Lucy's Holocaster and a few other essentials.

"Thanks for so much Barbara. You've been a big help like always."

At this the blonde smiled. "No thank you Lucy. Without you…"

Lucy raised her finger to shush her sister. "None of that."

"Okay fine. Now are you sure I can't come down and get a look at this guy?"

"No," Lucy snapped. Realizing how defensive it sounded and not wanting to arouse her sister's suspicions, she continued. "What I mean is, I'm finally going on date. That means alone time."

"But I could just go down and blend into the crowd in the lobby. You know it's like a palace down there."

"When I say no Barbara I mean no."

"Fine," she pouted. She was insanely curious about the guy who was both bold enough to ask her sister out _and_ good enough to get her sister to say yes. "Though," and at this Barbara's face lit up with a coy smile "you do know that if things work out I'll meet him eventually."

"Of course," Lucy said matter-of-factly, "but not tonight."

"I guess I can be patient then. Now go! And I'd wish you good luck, but the only one that's going to need it is him."

Nodding to one another Lucy then turned and exited the room, off to find her date. Of course, patience had never been one of Barbara's strong points. Once she was sure Lucy was out of the room she picked up the room phone. After a few words with the front desk she was on the phone with Restaurant Le Wow's manager.

"Allo, how may I be of service," the manager responded, a slight lilt in his voice indicating his origins in the southern part of the Kalos Region.

"Yes this is Barbara, Pike Queen Lucy's sister. We spoke earlier."

"Ah yes, we look forward to serving you and your sister tonight. Unless you are calling to cancel?" There was the tinniest hint of disappointment in his voice at this suggestion.

"No, just letting you know there's been a change of plans. I won't be joining my sister this evening; she's found a nice gentleman to accompany her instead."

"Ah, très bien! Well, is there any other way I can be of service?"

"Other than making sure the evening goes fabulously, which I'm sure you will, there is one more thing. Can you be sure to take a few candid shots of my sister and her date? I know this might be an unusual request but this is really important to Lucy. She wants something to remember this evening."

"Of course! We are happy to help out a guest as renowned a battler and as elegant a dresser as Queen Lucy. With technology these days maintaining discretion for your sister and our establishment is no problem."

"Thank you so much! Just let me give you the email address to send them to." After doing so, she continued. "And please send them right away."

"Of course. We are happy to be of service."

"Alright, well I'll let you get back to your duties. And apologies but they'll probably be a bit late."

"It is no problem at all! And we hope to have a designer as talented as you as our guest someday soon."

At this Barbara blushed at the praise. She was immensely glad she was not using a Holocaster or video phone for this call. "Me too." With this she bid her goodbyes and ended the call. Although she felt a bit guilty going behind her sister's back, it's not like she was technically breaking her word…she would neither actually be interrupting the date nor would she be seeing the guy in the flesh.

Phone still in hand, Barbara quickly dialed the front desk and placed an order for room service; after all, she was hungry too. After being assured her meal would arrive soon, she thanked the hotel employee and hung up. Her business on the phone concluded, Barbara went over to the couch and flipped on the TV, eager to unwind after a long day.

* * *

As she entered the elevator Lucy let out a sigh of relief. She was glad that she was somehow able to put her sister off, at least temporarily. Last time Barbara and Brock had crossed paths she had nothing but scorn for the young Pokémon Breeder; evidently she had thought that Brock was not good enough for her. While Lucy could tell Brock had matured some since then, she still had not wanted to take the risk, especially not on their first date.

The elevator stopped a few more times to pick up guests on the way down, but while she had received a few discreet glances from some of the male passengers she had received no outright stares; in a hotel this fancy neither her attire nor her beauty nor even her fame were particularly out of place. As the elevator came to a halt in the lobby and open its doors, her fellow passengers rushed out. Lucy however lingered a moment. As she had gotten ready, Barbara had provided a steady stream of chatter and advice, a welcome distraction from the nervousness she had felt at the prospect of her date with Brock. But now, as she stood alone on the threshold of the date's beginning, it felt like she was being hit with a Bide attack; all the nervousness she had been able to ignore for the past hour was now hitting her all at once. Turning, she looked at herself in the mirror at the side of the elevator. Drawing comfort from how good she looked, she turned and strode out the door and into the lobby before she lost her nerve.

The massive room was alive with the bustle of guests heading out for an evening's merriment and with the hustle of employees moving from task to task. Fortunately her commanding height allowed her to easily pick out Brock from the crowd. He was standing, head down and hands in his pockets, not too far from the front desk. While Lucy thought his appearance was quite handsome his posture and expression gave her pause. For a moment she wondered why a somewhat sad expression should color his face...that is until she remembered that she was already quite late. For all she knew he could be worried that she was planning on standing him up. Walking over as quickly as her dress permitted, she waited until she was almost upon him before calling his name. At the sound of it he looked up and expression changed in an instant.

* * *

Brock glanced at the hotel clock again. Lucy was now over ten minutes late. At this time of night there was a steady stream of cabs pulling straight up to the hotel; he was not at all concerned about having to wait long for a ride. Although Restaurant Le Wow was only a few minutes away, it was already late enough that there was no way they would make it there on time. While this would have typically been concerning to someone who valued punctuality as much as Brock, on this night it was the last thing on his mind.

Instead, as the minutes ticked by, he became increasingly worried about all sorts of other things. What if he said the wrong thing? What if she realized he just was not that interesting? What if this was all a trick to get back at him for hitting on her when they first met and she had no intention of coming? This last concern was particularly nerve-wracking; even as Lucy had said yes to Brock's invitation he had still had a hard time believing it was really happening. Now, as he stood alone in the lobby, his faith was being strained to its breaking point. Consumed as he was in his own thoughts, he lost complete track of what was going on around him.

Without warning he heard his name. Looked up he was immediately floored by what was before him. Standing before him was a vision whose like he had never before seen. Though he had thought Lucy beautiful in her regular outfit, her radiance now was practically blinding. While the Edwardian opulence of the lobby was itself a thing of beauty, in his mind's eye it was complexly eclipsed by the woman before him. Brock could feel his jaw drop, but was completely unable to think or say anything else, so entranced was he by the woman in front of him. For once Brock, who never lacked a stream of flirtatious remarks to say to a pretty girl, (even if lately he had restrained himself from verbalizing them) was completely speechless.

Dimly he realized that someone was calling his name again. Realizing that it must be Lucy, he somehow shook himself from his stupor and managed to choke out a response. "Hi," he managed, refocusing his eyes, which had taken on a glazed over expression, on hers.

She smiled, blushing heavily in response. "Hi. I'd ask how I look but it seems like you've already answered."

"Uh…" Brock stuttered. "Yeah…there's no adjective that would do you justice."

"And you're looking quite handsome," she said, averting her gaze as she did so.

"Thanks," he smiled. After standing in silence for a moment he offered her his hand. "Shall we?"

Smiling, she extended her left arm and placed her hand in his. Though Lucy was taller than Brock, her gloved hand fit comfortably within his. Together they walked side by side towards the exit.

As Brock had anticipated finding a cab was as easy as walking out the doors of the hotel. The ride to the restaurant was also smooth; while there was a bit of traffic it was nothing that the cabby could not handle. Under ordinary circumstances this would have endeared the man to Brock, but the look of disdain the man had given Brock when he had entered the cab had been impossible to miss. The man's sour expression had only intensified when Brock spoke the name of their destination. While he was not positive about what the cabby meant by it, Brock was pretty sure the man thought him ill-suited to accompany such a beautiful woman, particularly to an establishment such as Restaurant Le Wow. Or maybe he was just jealous. Either way, as he swiped his card to pay the fare, Brock gave the minimum tip he felt he could get away with.

As Brock settled the fare Lucy stood on the sidewalk gazing at the establishment in front of her. From the outside Restaurant Le Wow appeared understated to the point of unremarkable. Only the plush red carpet spilling out from the entrance and the uniformed doormen standing at attention hinted at something beyond the ordinary. A moment later Brock joined her. Seeing him she smiled and looped her arm within his. Together they strode leisurely forward. As they approached the entrance the two doormen opened the doors with machine-like synchronicity, allowing them access to the sanctum within.

The interior of Restaurant Le Wow did not disappoint. The décor was elegant without being the least bit ostentatious. The attire of the guests and the staff were in keeping with this, leaving Brock feeling sorely out of place, though he was resolved to give no outward sign of his discomfort. Instead he kept pace with Lucy as they both approached the maître d'. The man was middle aged and balding, though his hair was still dark without a hint of gray. As he looked up he smiled when he saw Lucy, but when his eyes fell upon Brock he frowned.

"Welcome to Restaurant Le Wow. How may I be of service?" His tone was formal, betraying no emotion.

Lucy smiled. "Hello. Reservation for two under the name 'Lucy.'"

The maître d' typed this into the computer. After a moment he smiled and gazed back up at Lucy. "Ah yes, Queen Lucy, welcome to our fine establishment. Let me say it is a distinct honor to serve a lady of your refinement at our establishment." He then turned his gaze to Brock, frown returning. "You can get going now, your services are no longer required."

While Brock's face fell, Lucy's screwed up in confusion. "What do you mean," she asked. She had anticipated push-back but she did not know what to make of the man's exact words.

"I mean your assistant's help is no longer necessary. He should get going, and the sooner the better. I admire his dedication to getting you here, but his attire is hardly fitting for an establishment such as ours."

At these remarks Brock blushed in embarrassment. Lucy however took on a look of cold anger. "My date," she started, motioning with her head to Brock, "is essential to my enjoyment of this evening. I would appreciate it if you could accommodate us." Her tone was icy and brooked no refusal.

An expression of embarrassment briefly flickered across maître d's face, but he quickly schooled his expression into one of polite indifference. "Well I am sorry, but regardless of your 'relationship' with this young man we will not seat anyone dressed in such a déclassé manner."

Lucy anger rose even higher at this thinly veiled insults. She had noticed the cabby shooting dirty looks at Brock earlier but had ignored it as trivial. This however was anything but trivial and she would not stand for it. Brock was a quality gentleman and rated higher in her esteem than ten of the well-heeled dandy types that the maître d' would no doubt prefer to see escorting her.

"Then I guess you'll have to find him something 'appropriate' to wear or we will take our business elsewhere."

"Perhaps that is for the best," he replied snidely. "After all, this is a refined establishment. We have no need or desire for the business of individuals whose quality is lacking."

At this Lucy was livid, but before she could respond Brock beat her to the punch. "Insult me all you want, but how dare you say a bad word against a lady."

At this the maître d' snorted. "A woman of such temperament and taste in company hardly deserves to be called a 'lady.' Now, would you please leave?"

Before either Brock or Lucy could respond a fourth voice interrupted.

"Ah, Queen Lucy, welcome!"

At this the three turned, surprise written on their faces. The voice came from a tuxedoed man with silver hair and a pointed mustache. He had a broad smile on his face, but when he took stock of the situation, his expression clouded. "Is there something wrong Pierre?"

The young couple turned to look at the maître d'. They were surprised to see his face had completely drained of color. After a moment of silence he recovered. "Sir, as you can see, these two," and at this he waved his hand dismissively in Brock and Lucy's direction, "are hardly fit for an establishment such as ours."

"Nonsense," replied the man. "The young man is a bit underdressed to be sure, but that is something we can remedy, no? After all, it is a rare honor to host a Pokémon trainer of such caliber."

The maître 'd had nothing to say in response so Lucy responded. "Are you the manager here?"

"I am indeed, and you are most welcome to our fair city Queen Lucy." At this swept up her right hand with his and kissed it.

Ordinarily this overly familiar gesture would have peeved Lucy, but in this case she decided to act flattered. "Why thank you," she said, injecting as much charm as she could into her voice. "Unfortunately not everyone has been so welcoming." At this she turned and glared pointedly. "Pierre here for example."

At this the manager's face flushed with a mixture of embarrassment and anger. "What did you do Pierre?"

Before the hapless man could respond Brock interjected. "He insulted Lucy and asked us both to take our 'low class' business elsewhere."

Now the manager's face was livid and he fixed his gaze on Pierre. The man's silence must have been all the confirmation the manager needed, for after a moment he shouted. "Pierre, go!" The man nodded miserably and fled. Turning back to the couple the manager bowed in contrition. "My sincerest apologies to the both of you. Now let me find you a table myself. And consider tonight's meal on the house."

Both Brock and Lucy nodded their thanks. Over the next few moments the manager was a whirlwind of activity. Before they knew it Lucy and Brock were seated at one of the best tables in the whole restaurant, with Brock sporting a borrowed suit jacket. The abundance of dark wood furniture and red fabrics set a romantic mood, one that had a soothing effect both Lucy and Brock. As the manager left them behind with the promises that someone would see to them shortly, the two turned to one another and smiled.

"Thanks for sticking up for me Lucy. I really appreciate it."

"No," she said, waving her hand, "thank you for defending me. You were quite the gentleman."

Brock smiled. "Well mom taught me to always take care of a lady. The things he said to you were way out of line. I was just glad I was there."

"Me too," Lucy said, face flushing. At this she buried her face in the wine list, embarrassed to say anything more and hoping that they could put the incident behind them. The last thing she wanted was for it to spoil their evening.

While Brock was also hoping to move past the unpleasantness, he could not help but worry that this might be the shape of things to come. Lucy was beautiful and famous…he could be setting himself up to be overshadowed by yet another person he cared about. The thought was unsettling. Eager to distract himself from this train of thought he began to peruse his own copy of the wine list.

Before long a waitress came by and gave them menus, which the two Kanto natives began to look over as well. Before long their orders were placed and the waitress was off, promising to return with their drinks in a few moments.

"So," Brock started, trying to break the ice, "here we are."

"Yeah," Lucy said, smiling in response.

Brock pinched himself in the cheek and then chuckled. "Just checking…though I'd be kicking myself if this were a dream and I woke up at this point."

Lucy laughed at Brock's quip. "Me too. After you left I spent a lot of evenings gazing at the sea, wondering what it would have been like to travel it with you."

Brock smiled, blushing. Not knowing how to respond to that comment, he settled for a safe question. "So Lucy, tell me, how have things been since we last met? Obviously your life must be a bit more exciting, what with the modeling and all."

"It is interesting," Lucy conceded, "but like I said, I don't really like it. Once Barbara is a bit more established I look forward to quitting."

"Have you only modeled her clothes?"

Lucy shook her head. "More so now. When I first started out, not so much. I had to actually build some star power before I could lend it to her."

"But you're a famous Frontier Brain, surely that meant something."

She nodded. "It got me in the door, but from there I still had a lot to do to build a reputation in the fashion world."

"So what have you modeled?"

"Everyday clothes mostly. Some formal stuff as well. This," and at this she waved to the dress she was wearing, "is one of Barbara's creations as a matter of fact."

"Is it lucrative? I mean, I'm not asking exact details, but I've always wondered what models get paid."

"It depends. But I could definitely make a good living on it, especially if I compromised."

"What do you mean?" Brock was now even more curious.

"Underwear and swimsuit modeling. They kept offering more and more money until I lost my temper, though in this case I'm glad I did." She did not even want to think about, let alone mention, some of the even more insulting offers she had gotten.

"I see," Brock said. After a second his face tensed, realizing that such a statement could be misinterpreted. "I mean, I understand. And that's great, that you have such high standards."

"I'm glad you agree Brock," Lucy said. "Some women are fine with making money that way. But I could never do it. Not only do I worry about what my father would say…I also can see the effect such things have. Men go crazy and women get insecure about their own bodies. I want no part of that."

Brock chuckled nervously. "You're right. And I put myself in the guilty category. Pretty girls have always driven me crazy. I've gotten better at handling it recently, but I'll admit I still need some work."

"Well," smirked Lucy, "I'm glad you have. I would've hated to have someone else snatch you up." At this Brock shot her a goofy grin, unsure of what to say. Smiling gently, she continued. "So what about you Brock? How did you go from aspiring Breeder to Pokémon Doctor in training? I'm sure there's a story there."

At this Brock smiled, launching into an extended description of his travels through Sinnoh, sharing both some of the highlights, such as the adventure in Alamos Town, the trip to the Reverse World, and tangles with Team Galactic, along with some of the key experiences that pushed him in his current direction, like assisting Nurse Joy in Hearthome City, teaching Ash and Dawn first aid, and helping sick Pokémon on the way back from the Lily of the Valley Conference. Lucy paid rapt attention, barely touching the wine and bread that the waitress deposited in the middle of the story and only occasionally asking questions. As Brock concluded his tale with a description of his acceptance into medical school in Saffron City, Lucy found she could not contain herself any longer.

"Wow Brock, I'm impressed. I went on my own journey before becoming a Frontier Brain, but it sounds boring in comparison. But what's even more impressive is how much you care for Pokémon. I can tell you're going to make a great doctor someday." She shot him a winning smile, one honed through countless hours of photo-shoots but made all the brighter by the genuine feeling behind it.

"Thanks Lucy. Coming from you that means a lot. I know you don't impress easily." And it was true. While Brock may not know Lucy super well, it was clear that she was always striving for excellence and expected it of others. She was clearly a woman of few words and quite guarded with her praise.

"I meant every word."

"I know you did, which is why it means so much." He smiled and lowered his head, clearly somewhat embarrassed at having said so much. After a moment he looked back up. "Now," he smiled, "enough about me. How's the Battle Pike going? Meet any interesting challengers?"

At this Lucy gave Brock a small smile of her own and then began to describe how things had gone since she had last seen Brock. Although generally a reserved person, when in the company of someone she trusted Lucy had no problem talking for an extended period of time, and this went double when she was discussing a topic she was passionate about.

Brock was not surprised at all to learn that Lucy continued to be the most difficult of the six initial Frontier Brains to best. The Kanto Battle Frontier had seven total facilities, but one could only challenge the Pyramid King once the Frontier Brains of the first six facilities were beaten. Trainers invited to compete in the Battle Frontier could challenge the first six Frontier Brains in any order. At the time of Ash's Battle Frontier challenge Lucy had been widely regarded as the toughest of the first six to beat, consistently handing out the smallest number of Frontier Symbols besides Brandon. It was a distinction she still maintained, although he was not surprised to hear that Anabel was giving her a run for her money. He was also pleased to hear that, in terms of percentage (if not number) of successful challenges, she was not too far behind Brandon, and he told her as much.

"Thanks Brock. Hopefully one day I'll be able to truly equal him." She had of course already beaten him at least once in battle; the prerequisite to becoming a Frontier Brain was winning the Battle Frontier after all, though of course not all winners were offered the opportunity to become Frontier Brains.

"So what's next? I mean, you're talking about winding down your modeling career. But any other ideas about the future?"

At this Lucy paused. It was an excellent question, one she considered herself often. Though she was satisfied with her current position as a Frontier Brain and was motivated to continue growing stronger as a trainer, she knew she wanted more out of life. And she did want someone with whom to share her life.

"Well Brock, I've got no definite plans. I like being a Frontier Brain; as fun as traveling is, I really don't like being on the road all the time. Being in Battle Frontier brings me respect and means I don't have to deal with novice trainers. Honestly I don't know how Gym Leaders do it."

Brock chuckled at this. "Yeah, I do have to say that it wasn't always fun, especially when you're one of the nearest Gyms to Pallet Town. But it's also a great opportunity to help out new trainers. And, every so often, one of them surprises you. Take Ash…I was the first Gym Leader he faced and he challenged my Rock Pokémon with his Pikachu. Rookie mistake…except he won. Or he would have, if he hadn't called off the match due to what he considered an unfair advantage. But that really impressed me and I gave him the badge anyways. Trainers like that don't come around often, but they make it all worth it."

Lucy's face fell. "I admire your patience Brock, especially since I struggle with being patient myself. Which is sad because…" and she glanced down, expression somber.

"Because?" When Lucy did not answer right away he reached his hand across the table and, gripping hers, gave it a reassuring squeeze. At this she looked up and smiled weakly.

"Because I want to be a mother someday Brock. But I look at myself and realize that I'd make a poor one. And that makes me sad."

Brock did not even try to hide his shock. "What do you mean?! I think you'll make a great mother. In fact, I know you will."

"How can you be sure?" Lucy's tone was skeptical; this smacked of empty flattery, something she loathed.

"Because Lucy, I've seen you with your Pokémon. When you battled Ash you were totally in sync with both Seviper and Milotic. And today, when I examined and healed your Pokémon, it was clear to me that you've raised them very well. While raising children is different than raising Pokémon of course, there's a lot more overlap than you'd think. So yes, I know you'll make a great mother."

At this Lucy's expression transformed from one of sad skepticism to hopeful optimism. "Really? You think so?"

Brock nodded. "Take it from someone who has experience raising both Pokémon and kids, you'll be fine. Does that mean you can't improve? Of course not. But you don't have anything to worry about."

"Thanks…But wait? Raising kids?!" There was a bit of hurt and anger in her voice at this.

Brock waved his hands frantically at this. "It's not what you think. You see, for a year or so before I started traveling with Ash I was the only one around to take care of my nine younger brothers and sisters."

At this Lucy's expression softened. "I see. Big family."

Brock chuckled. "You're telling me."

She smiled briefly, but then her expression took on a serious look. "Brock, I'm usually not very open with people about what is going on in here," and at this she place a hand over her heart. "But there's something about you Brock, something that makes me feel I can share my heart with you. Please don't break it."

Brock sucked in his breath, for the first time truly appreciating how vulnerable she had made herself over the past few minutes. Mom had always told him that a woman's heart is precious and delicate, and that to accept it was to accept a big responsibility. He had always thought this was a bit melodramatic, but as he stared into Lucy's eyes his mother's words suddenly came flooding back to his mind. "Lucy, I can't see the future, so I won't promise you 'happily ever after.' This is just a first date after all." At this both chuckled nervously. Lucy then nodded, motioning him to continue. "But I can promise that I will do my best and that I will never, ever intentionally hurt you."

"Thanks Brock," she said, "that really means a lot to me."

"And since we're being open," Brock started, "I feel like there's something I can tell you, something I really haven't shared with anyone before."

At Lucy's nod of encouragement, he continued. "You see, all my life I feel like I've been living in the shadow of someone else. As a young kid growing up, it was always my dad. He was a great Gym Leader, someone I could never hope to equal. After he left us," at this Brock paused, emotion temporarily getting the best of him. Letting out a breath he continued, "after he left I tried my best to fill his shoes as the man of the house and be a Gym Leader even though I didn't really want the job. But I always felt like I didn't quite measure up. It was even worse after mom left too…suddenly I was trying to be mom, dad, and Gym Leader all at the same time."

"Wow Brock, I had no idea." Lucy was shocked by the admission.

Brock nodded calmly. "Eventually dad came back though and I could leave, free at last to pursue my dreams. And for a while at least everything was great. But, over time, as Ash got more confident, skilled, and even kind of famous, I felt like I was back where I started. My dreams always seemed to take the back seat." At this he paused. "Don't get me wrong, Ash is great, the best friend I've ever had. But his personality and drive shine so brightly…"

Lucy nodded. "I know what you mean. Barbara has used similar words to describe how she feels about me. It took a while for her to admit to me that she felt that way, but once I realized the truth I made sure to encourage her and her dreams."

Brock nodded and continued. "By the time I came to the end of our journey through Sinnoh I had to admit to myself that traveling with Ash, as great as it was, was no longer the best way to pursue my dreams; I couldn't stay in his shadow any more. That's when I decided to enroll in medical school and stop traveling with him."

"Now I understand why you stopped traveling," Lucy said. Earlier Brock had described his journey and the decision to end it, but as she had listened to him talk about leaving Ash to go to medical school she had felt there was more to the story.

"Which brings me back to us." At the mention of "us" the two blushed slightly. Letting out a breath, Brock continued. "I know we both want to forget about what happened when we arrived here," Brock started. Though Lucy became clearly uncomfortable at the mention of the incident earlier, Brock pressed on, "And I agree. But it also made me realize that if this," at this he made a sweeping motion with his hand, indicating he meant their relationship, "ends up going anywhere I could very well end up right back where I started: in the shadow of someone else. Don't get me wrong, I couldn't care less about being famous…but I don't want to merely be 'the Pike Queen's boyfriend.'"

"Well Brock," she said, "if I've learned anything from fame it's you can't control the media. But, as far as I'm concerned, you don't ever have to worry about me forgetting or ignoring your dreams."

Brock nodded his thanks. "I appreciate that Lucy."

This was all very serious talk, particularly for a first date, and they both knew it. There did not seem to be anything more to say on the topic but neither one of them knew how to transition to another without it seeming either forced or disrespectful of the intimacy they had just shared. Fortunately for the young couple their waitress chose this moment to appear, dishes in hand. Grateful for the interruption, both took their plates, thanked her, and then began to eat. Lucy and Brock were both impressed with the quality of food, and this prompted a conversation on food in general. Lucy was intrigued (but with what she already knew about him not entirely surprised) to learn that Brock was quite the cook himself.

About halfway into the meal Restaurant Le Wow's manager made an appearance. After they repeatedly reassured him that yes the food was great and of course they had gotten over the "unpleasantness" from before, he took his leave, although he did make a point to share some dessert recommendations before departing, insisting that this too would be on the house. After bidding the man adieu Lucy asked about Brock's studies, curious both about Brock's experience thus far and about what actually went into becoming a Pokémon Doctor. This topic carried them through the rest of the meal until the waitress showed up to ask for dessert orders.

Like Kalos as a whole, Restaurant Le Wow was well-known for its delicious desserts. There were many to choose from, but both of them decided to take the manager's recommendations. This done the waitress departed, assuring them that their desserts would be out shortly.

"So," started Brock, "now that you know more than you ever wanted to about becoming a Pokémon Doctor, I have a question for you. It's one I've been a bit nervous about all night and I was hoping you could put my fears to rest."

Lucy smiled. "Go ahead."

"Well, last time we met your sister did not take too kindly to me..." When Lucy did not make any kind of response, he continued. "So what does she think of us going out on a date?"

At this Lucy winced slightly. "Well I didn't actually tell her. I was afraid she would try to stop me."

Brock sighed. "So who does she think you're out with?"

"I told her it was none of her business. Not yet at least. Besides, I wanted to see how things would go."

"And how are they going," Brock said, a hint of flirtation in his voice.

Lucy tried to put on a serious face. "Too early to tell really." But she could not completely contain herself and a shallow grin slowly spread across her face.

"Well then," Brock responded in good humor, "I guess I'll just have to use my secret weapon."

"And what's that," Lucy smirked, "more pickup lines?"

"Nope," Brock said, "that's hardly a secret."

"True," Lucy acknowledged. "So what is it?"

"That, my dear Lucy, is a surprise. And we wouldn't want to ruin it, would we?"

Lucy pursed her lips. She did not generally like surprises, they always tended to disappoint. _"Although considering how today has gone so far I may have to revise that opinion."_ Aloud she responded, "Okay Brock, but it better be worth it."

"Trust me," Brock grinned, "it will be."

* * *

**Hope you liked this and thanks to both readers and reviewers. **

**Brock and Lucy gave me a chance to explore more adult issues than my previous tale. From the get-go I decided this story would be essentially a "first date" fic; I also wanted to explore some of the deeper thoughts of the two characters, or at least my interpretation of them. So, while laying bare so much emotion this fast is probably a bit unrealistic, in the end I think it works, albeit as a situation they both realize is atypical. **

**One of the sad things about Brock is that, in spending most of his journey with people younger than himself, he did not have many chances to interact with people his own age. While this was an understandable function of being a sidekick on a show geared primarily towards a young demographic, it placed real limits on his maturity, mitigated only partially by his role as a stand-in parent for his travel group. I truly do think that, placed in the more adult environment of medical school and hospital life, he would adapt and mature quickly, though I do admit that if they ever truly bring him back on the show (as they did in the B&amp;W side story episode) I doubt he'll have lost this trait. **

**As an additional note first two chapters of this story are noticeably longer than the latter two. The next chapter will wrap up the date and the last one will deal with tying up loose ends. Depending on how things go I may post them both at once. **


	3. Night in the City of Lights

_As a reminder, Brock knowing Ash's Kalos companions is a result of the events in my previous story,_ An Unexpected Union. T_here are some spoilers in here for that._

_In case it isn't clear, the reference to Onix in the title is because it is a union of the Serpentine (Queen) with the [B]Rock. _

_Disclaimer: Still do not own Pokémon_

* * *

Dessert was just as exceptional as the meal, more so even. Lucy and Brock were both full enough to have no further desire to eat yet not so full as to be uncomfortable. As their waitress cleared their plates and assured them the manager would be by presently to make his farewells, Lucy took the opportunity to excuse herself, saying she needed to use the restroom.

Brock was of course curious as to how she might accomplish this in a gown as fancy as the one she was wearing but knew better than to ask such questions. Instead, once she was out of sight he reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone. Scrolling thing his list of contacts, he quickly found the person he was looking for and dialed. As the phone rang his breath quickened; if she did not pick up Lucy's "surprise" would not work out and he did not exactly have a back-up plan. Fortunately, after a few rings a familiar voice answered the phone.

"Hi Brock, it's great to hear from you," Serena said. "How's everything?"

Brock smiled. Meeting Ash's newest traveling companions a few weeks ago had been great fun. Since work started though he had been so busy that he had not had the time to check in with them. It made him feel guilty about wanting to keep this conversation short, but he figured once they realized what was going on they would understand.

"It's great. Listen, I don't have much time. Can you put Clemont on?

"Huh? Okay, sure but…"

"Thanks Serena! I promise I'll give you all the full story later."

"Okay," she said, clearly confused. She did however sense the urgency in Brock's voice so she did not press for details.

After a few moments of silence another familiar voice sounded in Brock's ear. "Hi Brock. It's good to hear from you, though I'm a bit surprised you asked for me."

"Well you're the only one that can help with this particular problem. See right now I'm on a date," Brock started, only to be cut off.

Clemont chuckled nervously. "And you're calling me?"

Brock shook his head and smiled. "You'll understand when you hear what I'm asking." Brock then explained quickly what he had in mind. As understanding dawned, Brock could hear a smile in Clemont's voice.

"Wow Brock, that's actually quite brilliant. I'd be happy to help. Honestly I never would have thought of that myself. "

"Thanks Clemont. And feel free to steal the idea when Bonnie finally finds someone to take care of you."

"Brock," Clemont shouted in exasperation.

"Just kidding, though when you do find a girl I'd definitely recommend it."

While a wise suggestion, Clemont decided not to comment on it, instead refocusing the conversation. "Since we're on the clock let me tell you exactly what you need to know…"

After Clemont finished his explanation the two friends bid one another goodbye, with Clemont assuring he would pass along Brock's best wishes to everyone else and Brock promising he would be in touch with them soon. Not thirty seconds after he hung up he caught sight of Lucy gliding across restaurant on her way back to the table. As he took the opportunity to study her he could not help but notice that he was far from the only one looking her way. When their eyes met though thoughts of anything and anyone else faded away. While Brock was a bit embarrassed to be "caught" staring, Lucy was pleased. She flashed him a small smile, one that caused Brock's heart to leap in his chest. After recovering he shot a smile back at her, trying to convey just how fortunate he felt to be in the company of such an exceptional woman.

A few moments after she sat back down the manager made his way over. He thanked them profusely for their patronage and expressed his hope that both of them would return again. At this point Brock decided to make a request.

"First sir, I wanted to thank you so much. Everything was wonderful and I think I speak for both of us in saying that we would love to come back here again." As Brock said this Lucy nodded in agreement.

"Thank you both, it heartens me to hear that. We love to serve…and to see young love, why, that is a profound gift."

At this both Lucy and Brock blushed profusely. After a moment to recover from this unexpected comment Brock continued. "Thanks. And I hate to ask for anything else considering how generous you've been but…" Here he paused. The manager smiled and nodded in encouragement, so Brock pressed on. "You see, I'm a Pokémon doctor in training at St. James'. The only way I was able to get the night off at the last minute was to dump a bunch of work on one of the other trainees. She was happy to help out, but she wanted me to ask if she and her boyfriend could get dinner reservations here. From what I hear it's not exactly easy."

"That is true," the manager acknowledged, "but in this case we'll be glad to help. When did they want to dine with us?"

"I'll have to ask and get back to you. Not for another month or two at least."

"Tres bien. It is only because our owner Christophe values Pokémon battling so highly that we were able to accommodate Queen Lucy on such short notice. But if you call anytime in the next week and ask for me we should be able to accommodate your friend a few months from now."

"Great, thanks so much!"

"Well, I'm glad you enjoyed your evening here. Just be sure to leave that jacket at the coatroom on the way out young man."

"I will," Brock said, "and thanks again for everything."

"It was our pleasure to serve you both." With that the manager bowed and left.

"So," Brock said, turning to Lucy, "shall we go milady?" At this he stood and offered his hand.

Lucy smiled, took it, and stood. "Yes, let's." Together the two walked hand and hand towards the door.

* * *

Barbara checked her inbox for what must have been the tenth time in the past half hour and sighed. It was already past nine and she still had not heard from the restaurant. Her own dinner had been satisfying, though she was sure that it probably could not compare with Restaurant Le Wow. But ever since she had finished she had not been able to get her mind off Lucy's date. Dozens of questions had been running through her mind ever since her sister had told her about it. Getting the pictures the manager promised would hopefully provide some answers. While Barbara had left her laptop open to keep an eye on things, after a little while she had forced herself to turn on the television to try to distract herself. Unfortunately this attempt at self-diversion had thus far proven to be less than successful.

Letting lose a huge sigh of frustration, Barbara moved to close the browser window, upset at how worked up she was getting over this. However, just before she could click the close button a new message appeared in her inbox. Glancing at it, she smiled widely as she realized that it was exactly what she had been waiting for. She quickly opened the email and immediately clicked on the attached photos, breezing completely by the actual text of the message.

The first two pictures were of no use; they were faraway shots that gave a sense of what the atmosphere of the restaurant was like; Lucy and the man she was with were in these shots but not in sufficient detail for Barbara to glean anything meaningful. She impatiently clicked through these two photos until she got to the third. Immediately she smiled and leaned forward, realizing this was a close shot. However her smile quickly turned into a frown. This third picture did an excellent job of capturing Lucy close up. It was a touching scene; Lucy's face was displaying raw emotion, something rare for her. The man across from her was gripping her hands in a tender gesture…but his back was to the camera. The only thing she could see was that complexion was bronze and his hair was dark and spiky. With a sigh she clicked again, bringing up the fourth picture. Almost immediately she realized that, in this case, it was the fourth time that was the charm.

This picture was taken from a completely different angle, with Lucy's face on the right side of the frame and the man's on the left. Squinting at the image, with a start she realized that she recognized the man in it; he was that creepy young guy that had kept spouting some nonsense about "love at first sight" at Lucy when his young friend had come to challenge her. While it had been some time since then, Barbara's memory of that day was still vivid. Few dared approach her sister and even fewer were so brazen; his poor behavior had definitely made an impression on Barbara. She clenched her fist in anger as images of that young whelp's impertinence played through her mind. She knew Lucy was lonely but _this_ was going too far. Part of her wanted to call her sister right now and demand she come back to their suite, but Barbara knew her sister well enough to know that would not work. She would just have to have a chat with Lucy when she got back and find a way to gradually convince her that this guy was not worth her time...without tipping her hand about knowing who he was of course. Grinding her teeth, Barbara slammed her laptop screen down in anger.

* * *

As the streets of Lumiose City whizzed by Lucy leaned back in her seat and sighed in contentment. Although she had some doubts as to how great a surprise Brock could pull off on such short notice, she decided that she really did not care. This evening had already surpassed her expectations. Brock had been a consummate gentleman and the food had been amazing. While Lucy could see that he was far from perfect, she could also see that he was intelligent, brave, and compassionate…wonderful qualities to have in a boyfriend and certainly necessary for anything more than that.

At this Lucy smiled and decided to take a bit of a risk. Shifting her body she leaned over and placed her head on Brock's shoulder. As she leaned in she could feel his body tense at first, but after a moment he relaxed. He then extended his arm around her; while tall her shoulders were relatively narrow, allowing Brock to easily envelop her. The feeling of his arm around her back and his hand on her bare skin sent shivers down her spine. Smiling contentedly, she shut her eyes and relaxed into him, allowing the steady rhythm of his breathing to lull her into a light slumber.

It seemed like only a moment later when Lucy heard a soft voice calling out in the darkness. But it was a gentle touch that summoned her back into full consciousness. Her eyelids fluttered open. It took a moment, but then everything came flooding back. Sitting up and then turning to her companion, she smiled sheepishly, noting absently that the cab had come to a halt.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to fall asleep."

Brock chuckled lightly. "Well usually a girl falling asleep on a date isn't a good sign, but considering the circumstances…" At this he trailed off, a wry smile on his face.

She chuckled at this. "You make a good pillow," she quipped in response.

Brock grinned back at her. "Yeah, well that's not all I'm good for."

Lucy smirked. "_That_ remains to be seen."

"Well," Brock said chuckling, "how about you take a look out the window?"

Smiling Lucy turned and did as Brock requested. As she did so she gasped at the sight outside. Before her stood Lumiose City's most famous building: Prism Tower. As the sun had gone down long ago the steel and glass edifice was resplendent in all its illuminated glory. Prism Tower was said to be the beacon of light at the beating heart of the city and, at this moment, Lucy realized that the descriptions she had heard and pictures she had seen failed to do the monument justice.

"Brock it's amazing…" Lucy trailed off, eyes aglow. There was an expression of pure joy and wonder on her face, an unguarded expression that Brock guessed seldom crossed his companion's face. At thoughts of how precious a moment like this was he screwed up his face in concentration, burning the image into his mind. After a moment he relaxed and smiled.

"Well, let's say we go a bit closer." At this he extended his hand to her. "Shall we?"

Lucy smiled and took his hand. Brock then opened the cab door and stepped out, with Lucy stepping into the cool night air a moment later. Because Brock had already settled the fare before waking Lucy up, he merely shut the door behind her and waved goodbye to their cabby. At this the older man gave a friendly wave of his own and began to drive off slowly, mind focused on the sweet scene he had just witnessed and the memories of his own courtship that it had brought to the surface.

Turning, Brock led Lucy slowly but deliberately towards the base of the building. Together they stopped by the side of one of the legs and stared up. It seemed as if Prism Tower truly was a pillar of light, one that seemed to reach up into Heaven itself. Both of them were caught up in its beauty for a moment, enthralled by the majesty of the engineering marvel. Lucy tightened her grip on Brock's hand, a silent gesture of affection that did not go unappreciated by the young man. He turned his gaze from Prism Tower to his companion, drinking in her beauty. Realizing his eyes were on her, she turned to face him. Their faces were only a few feet apart and both became quickly conscious of that fact. Before anything could happen though Brock broke the spell.

"If you think the view is amazing from here, you haven't seen anything yet!" Brock smiled.

"What do you mean?"

"Well my dear," Brock started, "don't you think the view from up there would be something," and at this Brock gestured upward with his head.

Lucy turned her head up for a second and then looked back at Brock. "Sure, but there's no way…"

"Ask and you shall receive," smiled Brock. He then strode forward towards the Tower's main entrance. Above its glass doors was a stylized letter P, the sigil of the Pokémon League. Rather than heading straight for the glass doors as might have been expected, he veered off to the side. Lucy kept stride, still gripping Brock's hand. Her curiosity was certainly piqued but she stayed quiet, silently wondering what Brock had up his sleeve.

Brock stopped in front of what looked to Lucy like an electronic lock. Brock flipped open a metal cover, revealing a keypad. At this he punched in a series of numbers until the keypad blinked green. At this he smiled. "Come on, the doors will only stay unlocked from the outside for about a minute." The two then crossed the short distance over to the main entrance and walked in through the now unlocked automatic doors. As they made their way across the lobby, which was dimly illuminated by a handful of lights, Lucy could not contain her curiosity any longer.

"How did you manage that Brock?"

At this he chuckled. "Well, I just so happen to know the Lumiose Gym Leader. I spoke to him briefly on the phone while you were in the restroom and got his personal access code."

"Really," Lucy said, shock evident. "How did you meet him?"

"The week before I started at the hospital I visited Ash out in Cyllage City," Brock said. "Clemont, the Gym Leader here in Lumiose City, is traveling with him. I got to spend some good time with the whole gang before I came back to start work."

At this they paused in front of the elevator. Brock pressed the button and a nearby car opened up. The two walked in and Brock pressed the button for the Observation Deck.

"So who is traveling with Ash? You said there was a 'gang.'"

"Right," Brock said, scratching his head. "Well there's Clemont of course, and then his younger sister Bonnie. Like Max she's still too young to be a trainer, and she has a strong personality to boot. But she's quite cute. Reminds me of Yolanda, one of my younger sisters."

"I see," said Lucy. "I'm not sure how wise it is to let someone so young travel on a journey."

"Yeah," said Brock, "traveling Max or Bonnie was great but then I try to imagine myself traveling at that age, or even one of my younger siblings…" At this he trailed off, unsure of how to complete that thought.

As they sped toward the top floor of the tower Lucy continued. "Anyone else?"

At this Brock's face lit up. "Yeah, there's one more. Ash's girlfriend Serena."

"Ash has a girlfriend," murmured Lucy, surprise clear.

"Well, he didn't when I first got there, but by the end of the week Doc Brock cured their lovesickness and got them together."

Lucy snorted at this. "You really are too much sometimes."

"Well if I weren't we wouldn't be here," he said.

"True," she acknowledged, a faint smile on her lips.

At this a chime sounded and the door slid open. The Observation Deck had specifically been designed to present a panoramic view of Lumiose City. Thus, as Brock and Lucy stepped out of the elevator and into the unlit room, their eyes were confronted with a stunning sight. While the view was certainly magnificent by day, the effect created by the lights of the city streaming into the darkened room was truly something to see. For a moment the two stood there, drinking in everything the vista had to offer.

The moment spent, Brock turned to face his companion. "What's say we go and take a closer look?"

Lucy's smile and nod was all Brock needed. Still clutching her hand, Brock led his date forward and out through some glass doors into a small outdoor area. The two strode out to the very edge and leaned against the guardrail. Looking out at the city below, both were enraptured by the beauty that lay before them. The grandeur of the buildings and symmetry of the streets was quite unlike anything either had seen before. After staring for several moments Lucy turned and caught her companion's gaze.

"It's beautiful Brock. Thanks for showing me this."

Brock smiled. "And thanks for letting me be the one to show it to you."

Over the next long while the two fell into an easy conversation. They started by discussing other impressive sights they had seen on their respective journeys, which led into a deeper discussion of Brock's recent week with Ash and his experiences matchmaking for the young trainer from Pallet. As Brock recounted his efforts to bring Ash and Serena together, both Brock and Lucy had their own relationship on the mind, though neither spoke of it. Where exactly this was heading was an open question, one they had avoided discussing all night. But, as the grew late, it could not be avoided any longer. Steeling himself, Brock decided to take the plunge.

"Of course I'm happy for Ash, but it does make me wonder…Lucy, I've had a great time tonight and," and at this his voice took on the tone that all Brock's friends had come to associate with his love-craziness, "taking you out again would melt the glaciers deep within my lonely heart."

Lucy blushed at this. "I'd really like that too."

"Wow, you mean it?!" Brock said, flailing his arms in excitement. He quickly pulled himself together and schooled his expression. "I mean, sounds great," he intoned.

"Then it's a date," she smiled. "It'll have to be back in Kanto though, I'm leaving the day after tomorrow and my schedule is completely packed between now and then." Although Barbara had let her know earlier that they had already booked a deal with their major client for the trip, there were a few more client meetings in the morning and then an extended photo shoot all afternoon and evening; Barbara wanted to take full advantage of the city to do several "on-location" shots.

"Sure. Only thing is," Brock said, expression growing a bit clouded, "I'll be here in Kalos for almost another two months. I've got six more weeks at the hospital and then an extra week here before I head back. See I wasn't sure I'd be able to get in touch with Ash before I left. So I made sure to plan for an extra week after I was done to be sure we could connect. Only after that will I be going back to Kanto, and I'll be starting classes pretty much right away." At this he paused briefly. "Not that I won't have time to see you once classes start of course," he added hastily.

"Two months," Lucy murmured. It was a long gap, especially between a first and second date. "Well I'll see if I can come back to Kalos during that week. Seeing Ash again and meeting his friends would be fun. And of course I'd get to see you."

Brock's expression brightened. "Really?"

Lucy nodded. "Of course it may take some doing with Scott." While she did most of her work for Barbara during Battle Frontier's off-season, she also typically spent most of her vacation time during the on-season to go on short trips. This current trip was case in point.

"Ah," Brock said, nodding knowingly. "Well, it's getting a bit late. Shall we head back?"

Lucy hesitated. Dare she broach what was running through her mind at this suggestion. _"If you can battle elite challengers and stand up to snooty restaurant employees you can do this."_

"We could, but there's one thing I was hoping we'd do before that."

"Sure Lucy," Brock smiled. At this he looked at her intently, waiting to hear her suggestion. Instead of saying something, she just stared at him pointedly, parting her lips slightly as if expecting something. After a few moments of this Brock could not stand the silence any longer.

"Uh, well?"

Lucy let out a sigh of frustration. "Well I thought you could figure it out," she said, a hint of annoyance in her voice. "You bring me to such a romantic place. We're standing under the stars. It's a perfect moment for…" and at this she trailed off in a mixture of frustration and bashfulness.

Brock scrunched up his face in concentration. Suddenly his expression instantly transformed into one of shock. "Oh! Oh…"

He looked down for a moment and shuffled his feet, clearly nervous. But then he looked back up at her, staring into her ruby red eyes. Lucy stared straight back at him, the color of her cheeks quickly matching that of her eyes at the intensity of his gaze. While she had always thought his eyes were his most attractive feature, never had they looked as appealing as they did at that moment.

Taking both of Lucy's hands in his, Brock leaned his face closer to hers, a gesture which she mirrored. Their lips met in a tentative kiss. As their lips melded together, the contact ignited an emotional fire within them both. Their kiss turned deeper and more passionate, each pouring out not just the depth of their feelings for one another, but also the joy at having finally found someone after having waited so long. Only when the need for breath outweighed their passions did they finally, reluctantly break apart.

"Wow," Brock said, taking a step back and sucking in some much needed air.

Lucy blushed a bit at this, then nodded in agreement. "Now we can go," she smiled.

Brock smiled back. Letting go of her right hand and tightening his grip on her left, Brock turned. Together the young couple walked back into Prism Tower and towards the elevator. They said little on the way down, each of them lost in thought.

When they found their way back onto the street it did not take long for them to hail a cab. As the car sped away from Centrico Plaza, Lucy turned her gaze back towards Prism Tower, as if keeping it in sight would somehow help her hold onto the memories of tonight. When it finally disappeared from view Lucy turned back and toward her companion. Leaning her head on his shoulder one more, Lucy resolved that, rather than trying to hold onto the past, she should instead look forward with hope to the future and the new memories she and Brock were sure to make…together.

* * *

**Prism Tower plays the part of its real-world counterpart and caps off a stellar evening for the two lovebirds. But with Barbara learning the truth are there storm clouds on the horizon? Find out in the next chapter. **


	4. The End of the Beginning

_Disclaimer: I still don't own Pokémon._

* * *

Thanks to the lateness of the hour the cab ride back to Hotel Richissime only took a few minutes, bringing Lucy's evening with the young Pokémon doctor-in-training to an all too swift end. As much as Brock wished he could stay and bid her goodbye properly, he had to work early the next morning. They were forced to settle for a quick kiss goodbye before Lucy stepped out of the cab, leaving Brock to continue on to his dorm.

Lucy proceeded to her room on autopilot, her mind and her heart gladly submerged in the oceans of memory. Suddenly (or so it seemed) the reality that she was standing at the door of her suite snapped her focus back to the present. Letting out a sigh of fatigue, she inserted the key and slowly opened the door. She gently shut it behind her and, turning, carefully made her way towards her room, trying to be as quiet as possible. She sincerely hoped that Barbara had already gone to bed and she could postpone all questions until tomorrow.

"Well, look who's finally back," called a voice teasingly from the couch. "I was worried."

Lucy let loose a sigh and slowly began to walk over to where her sister was seated. _"So much for hoping to put this off until tomorrow."_ Aloud she said, "Worried about what?"

"Well," said Barbara, sitting up straight, "I was worried you wouldn't be coming back at all."

Lucy snorted, flopping down in the loveseat opposite her sister. "Really Barbara, you can be such a drama queen sometimes. You know I have standards."

Seeing an opening, Barbara jumped on it. "Really, do you?" At Lucy's pained look she hastened to continue. "What I mean is, you refused to tell me anything about this guy. What am I supposed to think about that?"

"You're not supposed to think anything," Lucy said sourly. She did not know where the hard feelings were coming from; perhaps the reality that it would be a while before she could see Brock again was getting her down. Or perhaps she was just cranky; it was late after all. Letting loose a deep breath, she continued. "I mean, I'm glad you care, but you can be sure that any guy I'd date, let alone stay out this late with, is worth the time."

"And just what kind of guy is that," asked Barbara, tone neutral. "I mean, I know we've talked about guys before, but now that it's gone from theory to reality I'm curious."

At this Lucy paused briefly. Maybe it would be a good idea to share a few things. Gradually warming Barbara up to the notion of her and Brock could be for the best. And she _had_ ditched her sister and taken the dinner reservations to boot. She probably owed Barbara that much.

"Well, he was quite the gentleman the whole evening. He's clever and funny, though his humor does take a bit getting used to. He's confident, but in a laid back way. He's very compassionate and caring, and isn't afraid to be vulnerable. And he's quite handsome." At this Lucy blushed, then continued. "He's not perfect of course, but I think we complement one another well."

"Really," said Barbara, trying to keep her frustration in check, "and you learned that all from one date?"

"Well," said Lucy, hesitating for a moment, "not exactly."

"A-ha," said Barbara, "so he's someone you know from before today. But who could it be?" Without waiting for a response she plowed forward. "I certainly don't recall you ever meeting someone that was worth your attention. All I seem to remember is a long line of losers, and only a handful of them were crazy enough to think you'd give them the time of day."

This last comment struck a raw nerve, as it echoed the poor treatment Brock had received earlier.

"You have no idea what you're talking about Barbara," Lucy snapped, "so please stay out of it."

"Why should I when you seem bent on wasting your time with a lame excuse for a Pokémon Breeder?" As soon as she said this she clamped her hand over her mouth, immediately realizing she had said too much.

"Just how," started Lucy, the venom in her tone as strong as the poison produced by her signature Seviper, "would you know who I was with?" The glare she was shooting Barbara completed the effect, with the ruby of her pupils seeming to erupt with volcanic fury.

"Uh," Barbara stuttered, wilting under Lucy's anger, "I _may_ have called the restaurant manager and asked him to take some discreet photos of you and your date. I told him it was meant to be a surprise for you, something to remember the evening."

"Well you certainly succeeded in surprising me," Lucy said, deliberately mocking her sister's choice of words.

"Look Lucy I," Barbara started, but Lucy cut her off.

"Just don't Barbara. I don't have anything else I want to say to you and I certainly don't want to hear anything more from you. Good night." With that Lucy stood and tramped to her room. She slammed the door behind her, leaving Barbara alone in the main room.

As she headed off to her own bedroom, Barbara tried to tell herself that she had not really done anything wrong. But the image of Lucy's angry visage burned intensely in her mind, producing an unsettling feeling in her stomach that she could not easily brush off. Sighing, she realized she would have to try to make things right. Knowing her sister, nothing Barbara said or did tonight would help. It was not that her sister needed time to cool off (Lucy's cold fury burned long and hard) but rather that Lucy never accepted an apology until she was suitably convinced that _you _were sorry. That almost always meant time, time for you to feel guilty. _"Hopefully she would be in the mood to talk tomorrow."_

* * *

By the time Barbara woke up the next morning Lucy had already left the room; this was an ill omen, a sure indication that Lucy was quite mad. However Barbara was determined that Lucy should hear her out. The trouble was, with their packed schedule Barbara would not have a chance to speak with Lucy all day and then they were off to the airport early tomorrow. So, despite the fact that Barbara usually would never even consider appearing in public without completing her morning ablutions, this morning she threw on some clothes, quickly brushed her hair, and dashed out the door, on her way to the one place Lucy would be _if_ she was still in the hotel.

Because Barbara was in a rush the elevator ride down felt frustratingly interminable. When it finally reached the correct floor she dashed out of the doors and into the dining room, giving the hostess a shallow bow before continuing inside. As it was still relatively early, the opulently appointed room was not packed at all, giving the room the feel of something out of a museum or period drama. After glancing around for a few moments Barbara's eyes alit upon her sister; she was sitting alone at one of the smaller tables. Smiling, she hustled over. As she approached Lucy's gaze flickered up and, upon seeing her sister approaching, her expression soured. Unfazed, Barbara closed the gap and sat herself down across from her sister.

"I still don't have anything to say to you Barbara," she started, determinedly staring down at her plate, which, unfortunately for her, was still half filled with food.

"Well then just listen." Before Lucy could raise another objection she continued. "I am sorry alright. I shouldn't have spied on you and I shouldn't have insulted Brock," she said, grinding her teeth as said the young man's name. "I worry about you Lucy. I always have and I always will. But," and at this she paused, trying to force the words out, "but if you think this guy is worth it, then I'll give him a chance." This was hard to say; she still had significant doubts about the young man.

At this Lucy paused her eating and looked up, meeting her sister's eyes for the first time. "I know you care Barbara. And while what you said and did was uncalled for, I admit I overreacted a bit."

"What? Really?!" Barbara was flabbergasted; her sister was not one to admit to characterize anything she did as an "overreaction;" Lucy prided herself on keeping in control at all times and rarely would she admit to a fault.

Lucy nodded. "_A bit_. We had a little trouble at the restaurant; the maître' d was harsh with Brock, so when you were as well..." At this she paused briefly before shifting gears. "But what you said was still way out of line."

Barbara nodded. "But you do understand I am just trying to look out for you."

Lucy nodded. "Of course _little sister_." Barbara's tendency to try to act like she was the elder had always been annoying, but over time she had admitted, only to herself of course, that it was one of Barbara's most endearing qualities.

Barbara smiled at this familiar jab. "You're right, but that doesn't mean I shouldn't look out for you." At this she paused. "Look Lucy I don't expect you to take me on future dates or anything, but at least keep me in the loop, let me know he's treating you right."

Lucy stared off into the distance, expression pensive. While she valued her privacy, Barbara had never once spilled any of the secrets that Lucy had entrusted to her. And, if this incident was anything to go by, keeping her sister in the dark would only lead to problems. Besides, being able to talk about her relationship with someone could be helpful even if that someone was predisposed to be skeptical.

"Alright Barbara," Lucy said, turning her gaze back to her sister, "as long as you keep an open mind I'll be happy to share _some_ about my relationship with Brock. But I will decide how much."

"Okay okay," Barbara nodded. "I understand."

"And no more spying." Lucy's tone was firm at this point.

"Alright," replied Barbara, waving her arms. "I promise!"

"Well," said Lucy, deftly changing the subject "you should get something to eat. This morning's client meeting isn't that far off."

Barbara just smiled at this. "Now you're starting to sound like me." With that she raised her hand, hoping to flag down a waiter. Unlike chain hotels with their buffets or more medium-market hotels with their set breakfast menus, everything at Hotel Richissime was made to order.

Lucy gave her sister a small smirk. "I wonder whose fault that is."

"Well," Barbara chortled, "it's about time some of my good habits started rubbing off on you."

At this the two sisters smiled contentedly, both happy that they had reconciled. While neither was foolish enough to think that they had resolved all their differences, both were reassured by the strong foundation of their relationship, a foundation that, while it may be shaken, would never crumble.

* * *

Stifling a yawn and rubbing his eyes, Brock stared back down at the chart in his hands. While his date with Lucy had been two nights ago, the effects of missing that much sleep still lingered. It was days like this that made him wish he was a regular coffee drinker. While he had long ago sworn off anything more than the occasional cup due to the negative effects of regular caffeine consumption on the body, that did not mean he was not tempted. Shaking himself once more, he forced himself to try to focus on the piece of paper he was holding. Just as he was about halfway through reading, a voice interrupted his thoughts, startling him quite severely and causing the chart to fall to the floor, making an audible impact as it did so.

"Whoa Brock," Marci said, voice gentle, "it's just me."

Letting out a few breaths to calm himself, he turned around to face his colleague. She was leaning on the door frame, expression coy.

"Okay," Brock said, a hint of irritation in his voice. While he knew she had not meant any harm, it was still only 6:30 in the morning and, unlike Brock, Marci was an enthusiastic coffee drinker.

"One of these days you're going to have to join me on the dark side Brock," she said playfully. It was a familiar jest about his aversion to coffee, one that elicited a wan smile from her fellow trainee.

"I'll never turn to the dark side," he said in mock seriousness.

"Well," she said, changing the subject, "there's someone here to see you." There was a knowing smirk on her face, one that Brock certainly did not have time for this early.

"It's the crack of dawn Marci. Besides, we didn't have that many overnight guests." It was true; while yesterday had been quite busy, few trainers had actually left their Pokémon to stay with them last night for treatment.

"No Brock, you misunderstand," and at this she shot a crafty smile at him, "someone is here to see _you_." The emphasis she placed on this last word was particularly pronounced, leaving no room for ambiguity.

"I see," Brock managed to get out. At realization of who it had to be his senses suddenly came alive and his heart had begun to race. "Just who, may I ask, is it?"

At this Marci put her hand over her mouth and giggled. "Why don't you come find out?" With this she stood aside, giving him room to exit.

Sighing, Brock ran a hand through his hair and walked out the door and down the hallway. Sensing a presence behind him, he paused and looked back. "Well?"

"Well what," Marci responded innocently.

"Are you planning on following me the whole way?"

"Of course Brock," she said matter-of-factly. "After all, hearing details is one thing. Seeing with my own two eyes is quite another."

Brock pursed his lips. At lunch the day before Marci had cornered Brock and had asked him to make good on his promise. Although he had not shared every detail about the date (for example he had avoided personal struggles he and Lucy had disclosed to one another) he still had left lunch feeling like Marci had sucked him dry. It had caused him to reflect on Ash's relative good fortune; unlike Marci, he had not pressed his friend for details on his confrontation with Serena; he had simply been content with knowing that had all turned out for the best. Letting out a breath he said, "Okay, but only so you can thank her for the reservations."

"Sure," Marci beamed, "No problem!"

At this the two resumed their walk. Giving a nod to Marie, the on-duty receptionist (unlike Clarice, Marie was well-known for her polite if taciturn manner) the two trainees walked out the door from the treatment area into the waiting room.

As Brock had expected, standing in the waiting room was Lucy, dressed in a loose fitting royal blue sundress that fell just below her knees. Seeing her again was quite the unexpected boon, though given what he knew about her travel plans this meeting was going to be far too brief. What he had not been expecting was to see her sister Barbara standing right by her side.

"Lucy, great to see you again! Honestly I'm surprised, don't you have a plane to catch?"

Lucy nodded. "Yes but I," and at this Lucy paused, glancing sideways at her sister briefly, "or should I say _we_ wanted to stop by briefly before heading to the airport."

"I see," Brock said. "Oh, and this is Marci," he said, motioning to his purple haired companion. "She's the one who covered for me the other night."

When she did not respond right away Brock turned sideways to look at his friend. What he saw surprised him; Marci was looking down, fidgeting with her hands. It was quite a change; usually she was quite outgoing and bubbly. Smiling, he put a hand on her shoulder. "Marci, there's no need to be nervous. It's her Seviper that bites, not her." Neither noticed Barbara eying this exchange with keen interest.

Marci turned and nodded at Brock before forcing herself to look in Lucy's direction. "Uh, nice to meet you."

Lucy nodded politely. "Nice to meet you as well."

"Thanks…for the reservations. Brock told me you put in a good word." Marci's tone was still a bit nervous and she was keeping her eyes averted, though this was not hard considering Lucy's height.

At this Lucy broke out into a genuine smile. "It's thanks to you that I was able to have one of the best nights of my life. Those reservations were the least I could do."

At this Marci's cheeks colored in embarrassment. "No problem." She paused for a moment, and then said, "Uh, gotta go. Nice to meet you!" With this she turned and fled.

After she had left Brock let out a chuckle. "She really is nice. She was going on and on about you all yesterday Lucy. I think she's quite the fan."

"It's understandable that she's nervous; fans sometimes get that way."

Brock nodded and then turned to face Lucy's sister. "Good to see you again as well Barbara," he said neutrally, deferring to her to set the tone of the conversation.

She pursed her lips at this. "Yes, nice to see you as well." Her tone was a bit cool but did not contain any overt hostility, something Brock counted as a win. She then continued. "Look Brock, Lucy seems like she had a really good time with you. If that continues, we won't have any problems. But if you break her heart…" at this she trailed off, leaving his imagination to fill in the rest.

Lucy glared sideways at her sister, but before she could say anything Brock intervened. "Yeah, uh, I expect you would. I'll do my best not to let either of you down."

Barbara nodded. "Glad we're on the same page." With this she turned to Lucy and took a step back. "Well, I've said my peace," she said to Lucy calmly. "Now say your goodbyes, we're already running a bit late."

Lucy nodded to her sister and then turned to face Brock. "I'm not sure yet about what we discussed, I'll let you know when I hear from Scott. Either way though, I'm not leaving here without a proper goodbye from my boyfriend." She stared at him pointedly.

This time Brock got the hint. Emboldened by being called her "boyfriend" Brock quickly closed the gap between him and Lucy. Ignoring his racing heart, with a single motion he leaned up and pulled her into a passionate kiss. After a moment they broke it but remained close, leaning their foreheads against one another, eyes closed.

"Goodbye my lovely Queen."

"Until next time my sweet Champion." With this she silently pressed something small and rectangular into his hand.

"Lucy," Barbara said impatiently, "we really do need to get going."

At this Lucy sighed. Opening her eyes, she darted in quick for one final peck and then stepped back. Shooting him one last smile, she turned and made her way over to her sister, who had already summoned the elevator. A second later the door opened and the two sisters stepped in. Turning around, she faced her boyfriend, who was still standing where she had left him. The couple held one another's gaze, expressions conveying the longing that they both already felt until the closing elevator door brought the moment to an end.

As the elevator began its trip back down, Lucy moved her right hand over her heart and closed her eyes. Only when the elevator arrived on the ground floor did she again open them again. The two sisters walked through the door and out into the lobby. They strode across the room and quickly exited, getting into the waiting limo. As the limo pulled out of the hospital and onto the road, Barbara broke the silence.

"I must say," she started, "that was quite sweet. And as much as it pains me to admit it, seeing how he treated his friend shows me he has a good heart."

Lucy smiled, blushing at the memory of it. Although the barest hint of jealousy had flared up when Brock had put his hand on Marci's shoulder, his compassionate expression and tone had quickly washed that all away.

"Yes, he does."

"So," continued Barbara, "what did you mean when you said you needed to talk to Scott?"

Lucy smirked at this. "Not going to tell you sis…at least, not until I talk after I talk with him."

Barbara was miffed by this but decided to let it slide. "Alright fine, but after you do you better tell me."

Lucy smiled coyly. "Maybe sis, may-be." At this she leaned back and closed her eyes, content to be lulled into a doze by the gentle motion of the limo and by thoughts of her boyfriend.

* * *

As soon as Lucy left Brock stared down at the small object in his hand. It took him a moment to realized what it was: a flash drive. Turning, he hurried back into the room, or at least hurried as quickly as he could manage while still walking. It did not take long to find an unoccupied treatment room. Closing the door behind, he popped the flash drive into an available USB port. After a few moments waiting for everything to load he accessed the drive and opened the folder within, quickly seeing that it contained hundreds of photos.

Not waiting for the preview images to load, he clicked on the first one immediately. It was an image of the two of them seated at Restaurant Le Wow, albeit one taken from a distance. As he clicked through the next few images a smile grew on his face as memories of that night came flooding back. While he would treasure the memories forever, he was nevertheless glad to have some pictures as well. He wondered for a moment how they had been taken without anyone knowing; he would have to ask Lucy the next time they spoke. He pushed on however, curious to see more, especially since there was no way there could be hundreds of photos from just that night. His suspicion was confirmed when, after about a dozen images, the setting completely changed.

Instead of seeing another image of him and Lucy at Restaurant Le Wow, he was staring at a clearly professionally done image of Lucy in an elegant pick gown. She was standing by a fountain in a quaint looking plaza with a faraway look in her eyes. The architecture around her clearly indicated that the photo had been taken somewhere in Lumiose City, though he did not know the city well enough to recognize where precisely. As he continued to scroll through photos, it quickly became clear that the rest of the pictures must be from a photo shoot (or a series of shoots) conducted in Lumiose City at some point during Lucy's stay. While having a bunch of photos paled in comparison to the real thing, it warmed his heart to have them, especially since they were a gift from her to him.

Suddenly conscious of the fact that he was at the hospital and there was a lot of work to be done, Brock sighed, closed the window, and removed the flash drive, putting it into his pants pocket. He then stood, turned and exited the room. After viewing the photos, especially the ones of them together, six weeks without Lucy did not seem as long a time as it did before. _"Besides, I've waited a long time to find a girlfriend…what's a few more weeks?" _Though the wait had indeed been long, the time he had spent with her made it clear that it had been well worth it. And while Brock was smart enough to realize that this was not happily ever after, he looked forward to facing both the good and the bad times together.

As he walked into a treatment room and shifted his thoughts to the work at hand, he took to his work with a renewed dedication and cheer, one that, over the course of the next few weeks, was picked up first by Marci, then the other interns, and eventually even by the head of the department. When his time at St. James' was finally over everyone was sad to see them go, and Brock was sad to leave. But, considering what (or more properly who) was waiting for him, well, Brock went gladly, looking forward to exploring the future with the woman he loved.

* * *

**Well, that is the end of our story. While I have left the door open to a sequel, I currently have no plans to complete one. For you Amourshippers, I probably will do a one-shot sequel to my previous tale and give this universe's version of what we all want to see eventually happen in the anime: Serena and Ash's first kiss. I already have a rough idea in mind, one that does not involve Brock or Lucy. (in fact, it would probably take place roughly the same time as this story, if not a bit earlier) I'm also working on a story for another obscure ship, Laserblade, though no ETA. (to quote Tolkien, the tale grew in the telling) As much as I like Ash, seems like he gets all the love, and yes, the pun there is intentional.  
**


End file.
